Apparatus for electroslag remelting of metals and alloys

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for electroslag remelting of high-quality metal in which a mechanism for feeding electrodes into a mold is mounted directly on the side walls of the mold so that the apparatus is considerably simplified, particularly in the height dimensions thereof. The apparatus is most suitable for casting large ingots, for example, of a weight to 3 tons and higher.

llnited States Patent 1191 Paton et al. 1 51 Oct. 22, 1974 1 1 APPARATUSFOR ELECTROSLAG [56] References Cited REMELTING OF METALS AND ALLOYSUNITED STATES PATENTS [76] Inventors: s. Evgenievich aton, u a 3,240,8563/1966 Wynne .j. 13/14 Kotsjubinskogo, 9, kv. 21;Boris 3,379,238 4/1968Sieckmun 164/252 Izrailevich Medovar, Bulvar Lesi 3,670,089 9/1970 Patonet al 13/9 Ukrainkiy 2 kv. 3; Jul-y Vadimovich 3,712,365 1/1973 Paton eta1 164/52 Latash, Vozdukhoflotsky prospekt, 81, kv. 14; VitalyMikhailovich Primqr Examiner.l. Spencer Overholser Baglai, ulitsaSemashko, l0, kv. Assis Examiner-John E. Roethel 54/3, all of Kiev,U.S.S.R. Attorney, Agent, or FirmHolman & Stern [22] Filed: Sept. 18,1972 [57] ABSTRACT I [21] Appl. No.: 289,888

An apparatus for electroslag remelting of high-quahty Related pp Datametal in which a mechanism for feeding electrodes [63] Continuation ofSer. No. 42,911, June 3, 1970, into a mold is mounted directly on theside walls of abandoned. the mold so that the apparatus is considerablysimplified, particularly in the height dimensions thereof. The [52] US.Cl. 164/252 apparatus is most suitable for casting large ingots, for [51Int. Cl BZZd 27/02 example, of a weight to 3 tons and higher,

l 252 [58] Field of Search 64/52 4 Claims, 1 Drawmg Flgure i 2 t '2' a4, T 14311 &\\P W /A: lb 3 APPARATUS FOR ELECTROSLAG REMELTING OF METALSAND ALLOYS This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 42,91 I, filedJune 3, I970, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to equipmentfor making high-quality metal and, more specifically, the inventionrelates to apparatus for electroslag remelting of metals and alloys.

PRIOR ART Well known in the art are apparatus for electroslag remeltingcomprising a pan with a cooled mold mounted thereon, a mechanism forfeeding consumable electrodes into the mold and a device for bottom gatecharging of slag (cf. the Belgium Patent No. 689,297 with priority ofJan. 13, 1967).

In the above-said apparatus,.the mechanism for feeding consumableelectrodes into a mold consists of a single column, portal orfour-column structure, which is mounted directly on a foundation or on asupporting frame having a movable carriage or a cross-piece with a driveprovided with a screw or chain transmission.

Such mechanisms have a considerable height, are complex and bulky due tothe presence of auxiliary metal structures and, therefore, must belocated in special buildings having an adequate height, which factconsiderably increases the building cost of workshops for electroslagremelting.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioneddisadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The specific object of the invention is toprovide an apparatus for electroslag remelting of metals and alloys witha simple and compact mechanism for feeding the consumable electrodeshaving much a lesser height than the known mechanism for feeding theelectrodes.

Generally, the invention relates to an apparatus for the electroslagremelting of metals and alloys including a cooled mold for casting aningot therein, the mold having inner and outer side walls, an upper endand an open bottom end, a pan on which the open bottom end is mounted, ameans for bottom gate pouring of slag into the mold, a mechanism forfeeding consumable electrodes into the mold via the upper end thereof,and means mounting the feeding mechanism directly on the outer side wallof the mold, thereby considerably reducing the height of the apparatusand simplifying its construction.

The mechanism for feeding the electrodes is preferably mounted onbrackets secured on the external sidewalls of the mold.

It is also expedient to provide the apparatus with a device for sideholding of the dummy bar on the pan.

The mechanism for feeding the electrodes may be provided witha hydraulicdrive.

The apparatus according to the present invention allows the problem athand to be successfully solved and can be most effectively used forproducing large ingots, for-example, weighing 3 tons and higher duringthe remelting of consumable electrodes having a cross section onlyslightly less than that of the internal space of the mold in which theseelectrodes are being remelted (for example, with a ratio of thesectional area of the electrode to the internal space of the mold equalto or greater than 0.8). In this case, the travel of the electrode inthe process of melting is limited to a very short distance, andtherefore, the height of the mechanism for feeding the electrode and ofthe entire apparatus is small.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will appearmore fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following descriptiontaken in connection with accompanying drawing showing a generaldiagrammatic view partly in elevation and partly in cross section of theapparatus for electroslag remelting of metals and alloys.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apparatus comprises a pan 1with a device 2 for bottom gate pouring of slag and with a device 3 fortransversely securing a dummy bar 4. The dummy bar 4 is positioned in arecess 4a provided in the pan 1 and the device 3 includes a slide 3amovable horizontally in a recess 1b in the pan 1 for clamping the dummybar and upper surface 3b of the slide is flush with upper surface 1' ofthe pan. Mounted on the pan 1 is a cooled mold 5. The mold is providedwith spaced-apart inner and outer side walls 5a and 5b, an open upperend and an open bottom end 5d. It will be noted that brackets 6 aresecured on the outer wall 5b of the mold by suitable means. Mounted onthe brackets is a mechanism 7 for feeding a consumable electrode 8 intothe mold 5 through the upper end 5c. The feeding mechanism is ahydraulic mechanism including a cylinder 7a, a piston 7b and a pistonrod 7c. The arrows indicate the coupling of the mechanism 7 with ahydraulic system. The brackets 6 are secured to the mold at a distancefrom the upper end 50 which is equal to the height of the cylinder 7a ofthe feeding mechanism 7. The electrode 8, under the action of its ownweight through its top shoulder 9, is suspended from a supportingcurrentconducting ring 10 which, in turn, is secured on the piston rodsof mechanism 7 and is electrically insulated therefrom by means of aninsulating spacer 11. The voltage from a power source (shown by arrowsin the drawing) is applied to the ring 10 and the upper portion of themold 5. The mold is provided with devices in the I form of trunnions 12for lifting the mold by a workshop crane.

The apparatus operates as follows.

The mold 5 through the device 2 is filled with slag to a level at whichthe electric circuit is closed and, therefore, the process ofelectroslag remelting starts. As soon as the electrode 8 melts, it isfed downwardly by means of the mechanism 7. After building-up an ingotof a required height, the feeding of the electrode is stopped, with theremaining residue of the electrode being removed by the crane. The ingotis held in the mold 5 until solidification of the metal and slag, andthereafter, the mold 5 together with the mechanism 7 for feeding theelectrode secured on the mold is removed from the ingot, the dummy bar 4is released by the device 3, and the ingot is removed from the pan 1.Thereafter, the pan 1 and the device 2 are cleaned from the solid slag,a new dummy bar 4 is set in place and clamped, the mold 5 is again seton the panl, a new consumable electrode is supported on thecurrentconducting ring 10, and the process of remelting is repeated.

The working stroke of the mechanism 7, for example for casting an ingotweighing 4200 kg, with a cross section of 600 X 600 and a height of 1500mm, is only 230 mm. Such a stroke is easily provided by the hydraulicsystem of the electrode feed mechanism.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for the electroslag remelting of metals and alloyscomprising in combination: a cooled mold for casting an ingot therein,said mold having side walls, an upper end and an open bottom end, a panon which the open bottom end of the cooled mold is mounted, a means forbottom gate pouring of slag into the mold, a mechanism for feedingconsumable electrodes into the mold via the upper end thereof, and meansmounting the feeding mechanism directly on the side walls of the mold,said pan being provided with a recess, and a dummy bar positioned in therecess, and further comprising a means for transversely clamping thedummy bar in the pan, said clamping means including a slide movablehorizontally in the recess in the pan and said slide having an uppersurface flush with the upper surface of the pan.

2. An apparatus for the electroslag remelting of metals and alloys,comprising a cooled mold open at the top and bottom having an open topand bottom for casting an ingot therein, a pan for mounting the bottomof said mold, means for feeding consumable electrodes into the mold fromthe top, means for applying electric current to the top part of theelectrode, said electric current applying means being connected to saidmeans for feeding the consumable electrodes, and means for retaining theelectrode feeding means and current ap plying means directly on thewalls of the mold during ingot casting, said retaining means includingmeans for enabling removal of the mold, the electrode feeding means, andthe current applying means in unison from the ingot to permit removal ofthe ingot from the pan.

3. The apparatus for the electroslag remelting of metals and alloys asclaimed in claim 2, in which the pan is provided with a slot open on topand ends in a central part of the pan, said slot accommodating a slidehaving a top surface coinciding with the pan surface and in contact witha bottom flange of the mold when the mold is mounted on the pan andadapted to move towards the center of the pan along the slot, and meansfor clamping a dummy bar between the end face of the slide facing thecenter of the pan and the end face of the slot.

4. The apparatus for the electroslag remelting of metals and alloys asclaimed in claim 2, in which the means for retaining the electrodefeeding means and the current applying means includes a bracket securedon the wall of the mold, the feeding means including a cylinder, apiston mounted within the cylinder and a piston rod carried by thepiston, with the bracket being fixed at a distance from the open top ofthe mold equal to the height of the cylinder.

1. An apparatus for the electroslag remelting of metals and alloyscomprising in combination: a cooled mold For casting an ingot therein,said mold having side walls, an upper end and an open bottom end, a panon which the open bottom end of the cooled mold is mounted, a means forbottom gate pouring of slag into the mold, a mechanism for feedingconsumable electrodes into the mold via the upper end thereof, and meansmounting the feeding mechanism directly on the side walls of the mold,said pan being provided with a recess, and a dummy bar positioned in therecess, and further comprising a means for transversely clamping thedummy bar in the pan, said clamping means including a slide movablehorizontally in the recess in the pan and said slide having an uppersurface flush with the upper surface of the pan.
 2. An apparatus for theelectroslag remelting of metals and alloys, comprising a cooled moldopen at the top and bottom having an open top and bottom for casting aningot therein, a pan for mounting the bottom of said mold, means forfeeding consumable electrodes into the mold from the top, means forapplying electric current to the top part of the electrode, saidelectric current applying means being connected to said means forfeeding the consumable electrodes, and means for retaining the electrodefeeding means and current applying means directly on the walls of themold during ingot casting, said retaining means including means forenabling removal of the mold, the electrode feeding means, and thecurrent applying means in unison from the ingot to permit removal of theingot from the pan.
 3. The apparatus for the electroslag remelting ofmetals and alloys as claimed in claim 2, in which the pan is providedwith a slot open on top and ends in a central part of the pan, said slotaccommodating a slide having a top surface coinciding with the pansurface and in contact with a bottom flange of the mold when the mold ismounted on the pan and adapted to move towards the center of the panalong the slot, and means for clamping a dummy bar between the end faceof the slide facing the center of the pan and the end face of the slot.4. The apparatus for the electroslag remelting of metals and alloys asclaimed in claim 2, in which the means for retaining the electrodefeeding means and the current applying means includes a bracket securedon the wall of the mold, the feeding means including a cylinder, apiston mounted within the cylinder and a piston rod carried by thepiston, with the bracket being fixed at a distance from the open top ofthe mold equal to the height of the cylinder.